Kids, Coffee and ADHD, A Cure in A Cup?

Christie Haskell, blogger for Cafe Mom’s “The Stir” gives her seven year old son coffee first thing in the morning and follows it up with an extra dose later in the day. She revealed her “treatment” for her son’s ADHD on ABC News.

Mrs. Haskell claims that coffee keeps her son focused in the classroom and helps keep his behavioral issues in check. In short, she is using caffeine to treat his ADHD. She claims it works like a charm.

“He doesn’t overreact if we ask him to pick up Legos, rather than screaming and throwing himself on the floor,” Haskell told ABC. “And if we ask him to sit down and do homework, he can actually do it.”

Common symptoms of ADHD include inattentiveness, impulsivity and hyperactivity. A recent study released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that nearly one in 10 American children are diagnosed with ADHD. Traditionally this disorder is treated with Ritalin and behavior therapy. However as many as two-thirds of kids diagnosed with ADHD have used some form of alternative treatment, according to the NY Times.